Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) is a mandatory committee as per the guideline of U G C [F.1-13/2022 (CPP-II), Dated 11th April, 2023], that every Higher Education Institution is required to constitute within the organization. Every college needs to have an effective ICC in place to address issues arising out of the various kinds of intra and inter-discrimination that may happen on campus among stakeholders, such as: ragging, gender Discriminations, sexual and substance abuse, student unrest, and economic, or social/ethnic issues. The ICC’s functions also gain legal powers from the POSH Act or the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. The ICC training is an important part of the complaint redressal process and helps make the Internal Complaints Committee learn about the important elements of compliance under the Act.

    Understanding the significance of the role of ICC in our college, the various redressal mechanisms at the Mother Theresa College of Teacher Education, Perambra, have been amalgamated under the single umbrella of ICC from January 2024 onwards.

The major functions of the Internal Complaints Committee are:

• Implementation of the Internal Complaints Committee Policy of UGC relating to the prevention of all kinds of discrimination on campus including sexual harassment.
• Resolving complaints from the aggrieved based on the guidelines of the Internal Complaints Committee Policy.
• Recommending actions to be taken by the Manager or any higher authorities, as recommended by the ICC.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF ICC

The specific responsibility that lie with the ICC are:

• Receive complaints of sexual harassment, if any, in a confidential manner using a Complaint Complaint/Suggestion Box.
• Initiate and conduct an inquiries as per the procedure suggested in the UGC guidelines, and as approved by the college management and administration from time to time.
• Submit findings and recommendations of all such inquiries to higher offices or parties concerned as per the situational requirements.
• Coordinate with the Principal and the Manager in implementing appropriate actions and recommendations of redress and means of prevention in the future.
• Maintain strict confidentiality throughout the process as per the established guidelines of the Internal Complaints Committee Policy and principles of professional ethics and Counseling.
• Arrange individual and group guidance and counseling to the stakeholders periodically
• Organise regularly sensitization sessions (through Life Skill Training) and legal awareness camps for students and faculty.
• Organise training programmes or as the case may be, workshops for the officers, functionaries, faculty and students, as indicated in the SAKSHAM Report (Measures for Ensuring the Safety of Women and Programmes for Gender Sensitization on Campuses) of the Commission, to sensitize them and ensure knowledge and awareness of the rights, entitlements and responsibilities enshrined in the Act and under these regulations.
• Submit annual reports in the prescribed format to the IQAC and higher authorities, on demand.

Periodic updating of the college Website on progress of the ICC per semester highlighting the Action Taken Report in case of any complaint received.